It was not like that in September, when Franson missed almost all of the pre-season because of contract negotiations. The missed time, said the Leafs head coach, has resulted in difficult year for the defenceman.

A year ago, Franson finished tied for sixth among NHL defencemen in scoring with four goals and 29 points in 45 games. He has just four goals and 27 points in 58 games this season, despite averaging almost three minutes more per game.

“I think Cody was a guy that came in and missed most of training camp. That always shows its ugly head along the way,” said Carlyle. “And he’s had his fair share of issues in staying healthy, from a standpoint of muscle stiffness, hips, all those things. Those are a direct result of not having a full training camp.”

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Not everyone spent the Olympic break working on his tan.

While Dave Bolland rehabbed his injured ankle with his old junior team, David Clarkson stayed home and hit the gym after a disappointing start to the season.

According to Carlyle, the work is paying off for both players. Bolland is expected to rejoin the Leafs for Thursday night’s game against the New York Islanders. And Clarkson, who had a goal and an assist in the three games before the break, will be given an extended opportunity to play an offensive role on the team’s second line.

“We think the combination of [Nazem] Kadri, [Joffrey] Lupul and Clarkson has been a real strong force over the last little while,” said Carlyle. “There’s no reason to change that.

“We think they should be challenging [Tyler] Bozak, [Phil] Kessel and [James] van Riemsdyk line for offensive minutes.”

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During the Olympics, Kessel and van Riemsdyk showed that their ability to score was not limited to playing with Tyler Bozak. But while Bozak might not match Joe Pavelski’s all-around skill level or offensive ability, Carlyle is convinced he is the right fit to centre the top line.

“I lot of people would describe him as he’s not this or he’s not that,” said Carlyle. “We just know what he brings to our group and we’re confident that he can play down the middle effectively not only with Kessel and van Riemsdyk.